Greenhouse construction



Sept; 17, 1929. P. L. McKEE 1,728,690

GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e6 25 I I. jg] 5 l Sept. 17, 1929. MOKEE GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION Application filed March 26, 1928. Serial No. 264.826.

My invention relates to the construction of greenhouses and particularly to the .manner of providing ventilating openings for the inclined roofs of the greenhouses. The

present application relates to improvements in the construction shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 240,987, filed December 19th, 1927.

As set forth in said application. in the .10 present-day greenhouse construction it is the practice to provide a number of greenhouse units side by side to cover a given area of ground. These greenhouses are formed with substantially inclined roofs which converge upwardly to a. point directly over the central longitudinal portion of the greenhouse and transverse of the width thereof. In the prior constructions these upwardly converging roofs are provided 20 with outwardly opening ventilating windows which extend in opposite directions from each side of the ridge pole so that when these outwardly extending Windows are opened fresh air is admitted at the top portion of the greenhouse. In addition each greenhouse of heretofore existing construction has been provided along its vertical lateral walls and in some instances along the lower portions of its upwardly inclined glass roofs, with heating pipes for the purpose of heating the air which goes through these ventilating windows on each side of the ridge pole which are opened for that pur ose.

p to the present time it has been the universal practice when providing a plurality of these greenhouse units to arrange them side by side; thus, for instance, where it was desired to provide two of these green- 4o v house units to double the capacity of a single greenhouse unit, the two were arranged side by side, and each unit was provided with two oppositely extending and outwardly o ening windows on each side of 45.; the ridge po e.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide an arrangement of ventilating doors or windows on each side of the crown or ridge pole of the roof of the green- Wuhouse wherein such plurality of windows may be opened and closed independentl of each other as distinguished from my a orementioned application wherein the windows were arranged in interconnected relation and in a manner such that one of the Windows could not be opened without opening the other.

In another phase of my invention, another object is to provide a construction wherein one of the windows over-lappingly lies upon a shit-table portion of the other window, the construction being such as to permit the alternate sash to pivotally slide along the superimposed sash of the other window so that while the two windows are arranged in overlapping closed relation, the alternate window may be swung to open position without disturbing the over-lying window.

These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view. partly in section, of my enlarged greenhouse unit provided with the novel arrangen'ient of double ventilating windows on each side of the ridge pole;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same with certain parts broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the construction showing independently operated windows; and

Figure 4 is a modified view showing another form of construction.

It has he etofore been common practice in the construction of greenhouses to place two single units side by side. each of said units comprising vertical side walls and upwardly inclined root's converging to ridge poles. The heating means consisting of steam pipes or hot water pipes are usually placed along these vertical walls and possibly along the lower portion of the up wardly inclined roofs which are formed of glass so as to permit the passage of the suns rays and light therethrough.

in these single unit constructions two windows are mounted on each side of the ridge pole and are hinged to said ridge poles so Fill a: lo opm outwardly. lVhen closed, these wiixi'iows overlie the upper free edges of the rout so as to rlose th se rentilating openings on the siii" of the ridge poles. It will be note'l iltt in these single units the roofs are re atively :-lose to the top of the vertical ulis and that due to this fact it is not pos- 'iilito peotiric more than two of such Win- 'wh may he opened to permit the inilivh air. This is due to the fact i: :ihlitional windows were provided in upwardly inrlined roofs of the single lliil i-oa trur'iinn the fresh air when enterin; woui l he brought directly 'into contact with the growing vegetation at points rela. lively lose to the upper end of the wall, ml which ntering air would not have a vlifillt't' to he heated by the steam pipes.

In my improved construction which is shown in tail lines in Figs. 1 and l of the drawings l construct my enlarged green house unit by forming the vertical side Walls 22 of the sanuheight a: the heretofore existing rillgjll' units. and l arrange these vertirill walis 23 in spaced apart relation and distance so as to cover double the amount oi ground area heretofore enclosed by these \tii ieal is in a single unit.

ltm'ever. in my improved and enlarged ronstrnriion the upwardly inclined roofs 24 and Qli are extended heyond the height of 'l'u usuiii ri lgr pole of the single unit to a point wherein the ridge pole 28 of my improreil mush-nation is disposed considerably a ive the height of the ridge pole of a ingle unit. but not twice the height. I pref: erahl support this ridge pole 28 and. the I wnu forming the upwardly inclined roofs wit and :26 by means of the usual cross truss ieanr and ventral poles 30 carried by the hitei'al r di posed supports 31 extending at utiirient intervals longitudinally of the in- -lined roots. It will he noted that in my enlarged or double unit construction the ridge pole 2* is approximately four times the lieght of the vertical wall height 22.

The suppmt ill is preferably an I-beam and ha riveted at its upper end a cross piece 312 to the opposite portions of which are l'ivct the upper ends of the roof supportizg E-iwanas 2i and 26 respectively. In addition at the top of the cross piece 32 and heiwi'rn the ends of the beams 24 and 26 and immediately on top of the support 30, i rii' -t a seroud cross support 34 which has riietcil to it and mounted thereon a metallic l lteain extending longitudinally of the greenhouse. This I-beain constitutes a part wt the ridge pole and supports the ridge aoie rap 36. The details of construction of this I -heam 28 and ridge pole cap 36 and the manner of supporting all the window ventilating: .aslas therefrom. While disclosed herein are not rlaimed since they form the suhject matter of a separately formed ap pliration com'urrently pending herewith.

At a point substantially the length of the inclined roof beams 24 and 26, I rivet to the under side thereof a preferably metallic cross beam 38 which forms a support for the stationary window sash 40 and in which is mounted the usual transparent pane 42 which sash or a multiple number of sashes extend downwardly in inclined formation to the top of the vertical wall 22. llxtending transiersely of the plurality of inclined roof beams 24, l mount an angular-1y shaped metal beam 4-3 as by means of rivets and to this beam, I bolt a riveted L-shaped beam which constitut es a support for a wooden spacing block or cross beam 47 which extends ilt1I)t' -,"(H'Hlf, of the inc lined roof. The eonstiatction of my present application (litters from that of my former and co-pending application in that instead of hinging the lower sash 49 of one of the Windows to the stationary sash il l hinge such sash as at 50 to this stationary heam 47 so that the sash 49 underlies the beam 47 and is positioned when c osed substantially opposite the vertical sash of the inverted L-shaped beam 45. The free or outer end of the sash 49 rests freely upon the top surface of the Witlt'iOW sash 40. Si "t abie inerl'ianism is employed for swing n this window sash 49 tooutward or open position as shown in dotted lines and this mechanism comprises a lever 52 pivoted as at 54 to a "relatively short arm 56 attached to the outer end of the sash 49. The inner end of lever 52 is pivoted as at 58 to an arm 60 mounted one rotatable shaft 62 mounted on a bracket ()4 on the inclined roof beam 24: whereby on rotation of the shaft 62 the level-s52 andGO will he moved to open dotted line position as shown.

The upper Window sash 66 is pivotally mounted as by means of the hinge 68 n a manner similar to that shown in my former applicatiengthe hinge 68 being secured 'pre ferahl y to the vertical'sitie of the ridge pole cap 36 and the inner portion an the sash 66being arranged to rest under this ridge pole cap and against the T-shapcd beam 28. This sash is opened by a similarsystcmof levers comprising the relatively hing lever 70 pivoted as at 72 to a shoe-t bracket 74 carried. hy the outer portion of the sash and the inner end of this lever 70 is pivoted as at 76 ton shorter lever 78 rigidly mounted on a turnable shaft 80 carried on a braekeft 82 from the inclined beam 24. The outer or free end of the sash (S6 overlies frtsilythe top surface of the stationary cross beam -47 and the arrangement is such that the-upper Window '66 may be'oponed independently of "the lower Window 49. It willhes'een that when the lower Window is open the'hinges at the point 50 will swing to'open position without disturbing the upper-window. This con ill-3 struction is brought about by reason of the spacing block 47.

In the construction shown in Figure 4. I mount upon the inclined roof beam 2i :1 cross beam or channel beam 84: and one por tion of the hinge 5 6 is suitably bolted to the upper vertical liange 88 of this cross beam 84- while the other portion of the other flange 90 of the hinge is suitably fastened to the sash 92 of the lone! window so that this window is tree to swing about the pivot 9i oi the hinge. llowever, in this construction. the upper portion of the sash 9;". is provided with an upstanding rmznded. hump-like project on 96 upon which freely lies the outer portion of the sash DR of the upper window. This upper window is hinged to the crown of the ridge pol in exactly the same manner as shown in Figure 3 herein. In this modified form ol construction. by reason of the rounded liump-liho portion 96, the lower sash 92 is free to open and close while leaving the upper sa h 9B in undisturbed position and this is due to the rounded por tion which Forms a. rolling pivot for forming a contact bet ween the lower and upper sashes. It will be seen that this ia ter forms a very economical. simple, yet cttcctive construction for permitting two window sashes to be opened and closed independently of one another.

Having thus described my invention. what, I cl--im as new and desire to secure by Letiers Patent is:

1. In a greenhouse construction, the coinhination ot upwardly inclined roo-F beams converging to the ridge pole, stationary win dow sashes mounted on said inclined roof beams at the lower )ortion of the inclined roots on each side o the ridge pole. and a plurality of pivotally mounted windows for opening and closing the space between said stationary windows and the ridge pole on each side of the ridge pole. con'iprising astationury beam carried by said inclined root members and lying transversely thereacross. a lower window sash hinged to said root beam and adapted to swing outwardly, the outermost portion of said sash overlapping and overlying the topmost portion of said stationary window sashes, and a second shiftable window sash pivotally mounted adjacent the ridge pole and having the free end ol said sash overlying the hinged portion of said first mentioned sash, and operating me: us for opening said window sashes.

In a greenhouse constrnctiom the combination of root beams inclined H )\Vfl1'(ll y and converging to a ridge pole constrimtion, stationary window sashes mounted on said root beams tor covering the lower portion of the inclined roots. and two pivoted windows mounted on said root and lying between the uppermost portion oi the stationary window sashes and the ridge pole on each side thereof, one of said windows being hinged adjacent the ridge pole and the other of said windows being hinged adjacent the outer end of said first mentioned window, said windows being arranged in overlappingrelation. and means for opening said windows independently.

3. in a greenhouse construction, the com hination with the vertical walls of the green house and the upwardly inclined root beams and the ridge pole construction at the convergence of said roof beams, a plurality of stationary window sashes covering the lower portions of said inclined roof beams, a transversely disposed beam located substantially lute-mediate the distance between the upper portions of said stationary sashes and the, ridge pole, a stationary spacing block mounted on said transverse beam, :1 lower window hinged to said block and adapted to open ouhvardly. the outer portion of said window sash being adapted freely to overlie the stationary window sash and a second window having its sash hinged to the ridge pole structure and having its outer sash freely overlying said block and means for opening and closing said windows independently.

i. la a greenhouse construction. the combination of the vertical side walls of the greenhouse and the upwardly inclined root beams and the ridge pole construction at the convergence oi said roof beams, a cross beam n'iountcd on said rool' beams, a spacing block rigidly mounted on said cross beam, 1:. window sash pivoted substantially at the bottom portion of said spacing block. and adapted to swing outwardly, means for open ing and closing said window sash the upper portion oi said stationary block constituting a stop or abutment. a second window sash hinged at the ridge pole and the outer end of said window sash overlying said stationary block and disposed so as to permit the first mentioned window sash to swing to open position without contacting the outer por tion of said second window sash, and means for independently opening and closing said second window sash.

5. in a greenhouse construction. the coinhination of the upwardly inclined root beams and the ridge pole construction at their convergence. a cross beam mounted on said root beams, a first window sash hingcdly mounted upon said cross beam so as to pcrniit said window sash to swing outwardly to open position. a support section positioned adjacent the hinged end of said window sash and extending upwardly therefrom. and a second window sash hinged adjai cut the ridge pole with the other end thereof lying freely on said upwardly extending portion. and means for independently opening and closing said window sashes.

6. A ventilating construction for the roof of a greenhouse comprising two window sashes hingedly mounted upon root members. an upwardly projecting section extending along and adjacent the hinged end of one of said sashes, the other of said sashes having its free end overlying said upwardly extending section, the construction being such as to permit the underlying sash to swing freely about its hinge to open position without etl'eetingr the movement of the free end of the overlying sash resting upon the upwardly extending section.

7. In a greenhouse construction, the combination of root beams inclined upwardly and converging to a ridge pole construction, stationary window sashes on said root beams for covering" the lower portion of the inclined root's, and two pivoted Windows mounted on said rootv and lying; between the uppermost portion of the stationary window sashes and the ridge pole. one of said windows being hinged to a fixed position adjacent the ridge pole and the other of said windows being hinged in a fixed position adjacent the other end of said first mentioned window, said Windows being arranged in overlapping relation, and means for opening said windows independently.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

PHILIP L. MUKEE. 

